Rock Climbing: Locals take 3 titles at gripping event

Rotorua's Henry Booker (pictured) won a silver medal in the boys' under-12 division at the weekend. Photo / Stephen Parker

In the sport of rock climbing a single slip can prove the difference between winning or losing.

That was the reality facing competitors at the Climbing New Zealand National Championships held in Rotorua at the weekend.

Climbers from across the country were put through their paces at The Wall on Hinemoa St - often stretching from one tiny hand-grip to another while dangling high above the ground.

Rotorua climbers won three national titles at the event with Daniel Krippner (open men) and Sam Munday (under-18 men) winning bouldering titles while Bryanna Bell (under-16 girls) won a title in the lead climbing competition.

"It was super cool especially being at home, there is always great support," Bryanna, 15, said. "I'm super happy to have won." Bryanna said in her lead climbing final no one made it to the top of an imposing wall climb, but she managed to make it a bit further than her fellow competitors to claim the title.

She said she did not have it all her own way though with some stiff competition in the final plus a complication with one of her safety clips.

"In the final I clipped one of the clips wrong and had to come back down but [they let me] go again which was good."

The national champs featured two disciplines - bouldering and lead climbing - which attracted about 120 top climbers. The difference between the two disciplines is bouldering is done on low, challenging courses without ropes, while lead climbing involves climbers using safety ropes and going up a high wall.

Climbing New Zealand secretary David Sanders said sport climbing was growing in New Zealand and they had a good turn out at the weekend.

He said the climbing routes at the weekend were set by a group of four route-setters, whose job was to make each climb difficult enough so only one or two climbers in each division could reach the top.

The national champs was the final event of the year organised by Climbing New Zealand.

- Winners at the national champs:

- Lead climbing:

Open Men: Jesse Offner (Auckland); Open Women: Sarah Hay (Auckland); Masters: Mick Domaneschi (Wellington). Under-20 male: George Sanders (Wellington), U18 male: Antoine Polliand (New Caledonia); U16 male: Josh Cornah (Canterbury); U14 male: Matthew Jones (Taranaki); U12 male: Ryan Langstone (Auckland). U20 female: Erica Gatland (Auckland); U18 female: Sarah van den Hurk (Waikato); U16 female: Bryanna Bell (Rotorua); U14 female: Zeta Hittman (Waikato); U12 female: Alia Robinson (Wellington).

- Bouldering:

Open Men: Daniel Krippner (Rotorua); Open Women: Sarah Hay (Auckland); Masters: Barrie Forrest (Canterbury). Under-20 male: George Sanders (Wellington); U18 male: Sam Munday (Rotorua); U16 male: Josh Cornah (Canterbury). U20 female: Erica Gatland (Auckland); U18 female: Sarah van den Hurk (Waikato); U16 female: Judith Jewell (Canterbury).